Solar and Green Efforts:

• Solar PV
• Backup Battery - Powerwall system coexists with Generac whole home
• Electric Vehicle

System Details:

28 450w REC panels (12.6 kW DC), hybrid inverter (10 kW AC), Tesla Powerwall 3 battery/inverter for whole-home backup with second Powerwall 3 expansion pack (total of 27 kWh of storage capacity), Tesla Gateway 3 for grid interface/isolation/power flow monitoring. (Existing Generac whole-home backup natural gas generator can operate via auto-transfer-switch if solar/battery cannot power home during an extended outage).  I am on the ComEd hourly pricing plan, and I've developed custom software scripts that control use of the Powerwall 3 battery so that I can automatically avoid high grid prices in real time as they fluctuate throughout the day and night, and to ensure that my Tesla EV charges only at times when the actual hourly price is low.

Annual solar production (est): 10,500 kWh

Annual % from solar (est): 72%

Solar/battery system installed in December 2025.

Other: Own Tesla Model Y EV since 2023, using Tesla Gen 3 wall charger which is integrated with Powerwall 3 solar/battery system described above.

What made you go solar?

I have an electrical/software engineering background, and for several years have been interested in solar/backup power systems for the clean renewable energy benefits, the technical and software-based aspects of the systems, and the future financial offsets as the costs of grid power continue to rise. I also own a Tesla EV and it was nice to get a solar/battery system that could integrate seamlessly with my Tesla wall charger.

Tips for going solar:
Take a close look at the reviews, reputation, and history/stability of your installer, and give serious consideration to adding battery storage which can capture excess production from the panels during the day and then power your home for many additional hours every day after the solar panels stop producing. Also consider the efficiency gains and installation simplicity of an integrated, DC-based system such as the Powerwall.